Crotalus polystictus

Crotalus polystictus
Conservation status
Scientific classification
Kingdom: Animalia
Phylum: Chordata
Subphylum: Vertebrata
Class: Reptilia
Order: Squamata
Suborder: Serpentes
Family: Viperidae
Subfamily: Crotalinae
Genus: Crotalus
Species: C. polystictus
Binomial name
Crotalus polystictus
(Cope, 1865)
Synonyms
  • Crotalus lugubris - Jan, 1859
  • C[rotalus]. lugubris var. multimaculata - Jan, 1863
  • Caudisona polysticta - Cope, 1865
  • Crot[alus]. lugubris var. multimaculata - Jan & Sordelli, 1874
  • C[rotalus]. polystictus - Cope In Yarrow In Wheeler, 1875
  • Crotalus Jimenezii - Dugès, 1877
  • [Crotalus triseriatus] Var. jimenezii - Garman, 1884
  • Crotalus polystictus - Boulenger, 1896
  • Crotalus polystictus - Klauber, 1972[1]
Common names: Mexican lance-headed rattlesnake,[2] lance-headed rattlesnake.[3]

Crotalus polystictus is a venomous pitviper species found in central Mexico. No subspecies are currently recognized.[4]

Contents

Description

Adults usually grow to 60-70 cm, although exceptionally large specimens may be as much as 100 cm in length.[2]

Geographic range

Found on the plateau of central Mexico from southern Zacatecas and northeastern Colima east to east-central Veracruz. Occurs at elevations between 1,450 m and 2,600 m. The type locality given is "Table Land, Mexico", although a restriction to "Tupátaro, Guanajuanto, Mexico" was proposed by Smith and Taylor (1950).[1]

Conservation status

This species is classified as Least Concern (LC) on the IUCN Red List of Threatened Species (v3.1, 2001).[5] Species are listed as such due to their wide distribution, presumed large population, or because it is unlikely to be declining fast enough to qualify for listing in a more threatened category. The population trend is down. Year assessed: 2007.[6]

See also

References

  1. ^ a b McDiarmid RW, Campbell JA, Touré T. 1999. Snake Species of the World: A Taxonomic and Geographic Reference, vol. 1. Herpetologists' League. 511 pp. ISBN 1-893777-00-6 (series). ISBN 1-893777-01-4 (volume).
  2. ^ a b Campbell JA, Lamar WW. 2004. The Venomous Reptiles of the Western Hemisphere. Comstock Publishing Associates, Ithaca and London. 870 pp. 1500 plates. ISBN 0-8014-4141-2.
  3. ^ Mehrtens JM. 1987. Living Snakes of the World in Color. New York: Sterling Publishers. 480 pp. ISBN 0-8069-6460-X.
  4. ^ "Crotalus polystictus". Integrated Taxonomic Information System. http://www.itis.gov/servlet/SingleRpt/SingleRpt?search_topic=TSN&search_value=585827. Retrieved 1 August 2007. 
  5. ^ Crotalus polystictus at the IUCN Red List. Accessed 13 September 2007.
  6. ^ 2001 Categories & Criteria (version 3.1) at the IUCN Red List. Accessed 13 September 2007.

External links